Moving to Fayetteville late spring 2015 (Springdale, Rogers: home, employment, buy)

[Rock Climber]

Plano covers 71.6 square miles.

Fayetteville covers 55 square miles. Fayetteville isn't as dense as Plano (Plano is mostly tract houses built with small yards). Fayetteville has something like 4000 acres of parkland in the city limits.

I've lived in DFW before. It offers a different kind of quality of life. There really isn't much in DFW materially that you can't find here. There are a lot of natural amenities and benefits to living here that simply don't exist in DFW.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by USERXXXX

I understand your frustration about Shreveport. How about move 200 miles west to Dallas area? Most folks I know live in Shreveport move to Dallas finally.

Dallas is a fairly large and young community. NWA is growing like crazy, yes. However, it is still a small community with half million people locate in a large area.

For Dallas, you can have a town smaller than Fayetteville with 230 grand people (Plano/Richardson)..

We lived 13 years in the DFW metroplex. Did we like it? Some parts yes, more no, but I can assure you the 2 areas are very different. That being said, you have the same amenties in NWA except for In&Out and Trader Joes'. We have excellent schools, medical facilities, top entertainment, good dining options and the availabilty of great outdoor activities. Plus we don't have the same ungodly heat and humidity that we had in Dallas. yes, we have humidity and yes we have heat, but the summer doesn't go from April to Oct and the nights don't stay in the 80s for months at a time.

[Rock Climber]

Originally Posted by nmnita

We lived 13 years in the DFW metroplex. Did we like it? Some parts yes, more no, but I can assure you the 2 areas are very different. That being said, you have the same amenties in NWA except for In&Out and Trader Joes'. We have excellent schools, medical facilities, top entertainment, good dining options and the availabilty of great outdoor activities. Plus we don't have the same ungodly heat and humidity that we had in Dallas. yes, we have humidity and yes we have heat, but the summer doesn't go from April to Oct and the nights don't stay in the 80s for months at a time.

That's a good assessment of DFW vs NWA. I'd go a step further and say, we don't have all of the entertainment options of DFW, but I can't tell you how many times we skipped out on doing something "fun" in DFW because we simply didn't want to deal with the traffic or lines. I think we went to one Rangers game ever, because the traffic was simply too much to deal with any day except Saturday. Plus, it was just so hot until the very end of the season.

We've never decided to skip an event here because of "traffic". NWA gets good musicians, has theater, visual arts, and all kinds of community events and they are so accessible to the average resident. That's a big advantage over DFW, IMO.

[Loveswater_outdoors]

See I am the type of person who prefers insanely hot so long as I don't have to deal with the cold. The issue with Dallas is that it can get sweltering hot, AND it can also have some very bitter winters. You have to deal with both extremes. Now I am sure Fayetteville gets much colder and harsher in the winter than Dallas, but I doubt it is that big of a divide. Also it sounds like the Spring/Summer is more tolerable in Fayetteville. My fiancee and myself are still moving forward with our plans to move in June, and we couldn't be more excited! Only two more months! I am already researching bicycles and taking inventory of our outdoor equipment in preparation!

[USERXXXX]

Originally Posted by nmnita

We lived 13 years in the DFW metroplex. Did we like it? Some parts yes, more no, but I can assure you the 2 areas are very different. That being said, you have the same amenties in NWA except for In&Out and Trader Joes'. We have excellent schools, medical facilities, top entertainment, good dining options and the availabilty of great outdoor activities. Plus we don't have the same ungodly heat and humidity that we had in Dallas. yes, we have humidity and yes we have heat, but the summer doesn't go from April to Oct and the nights don't stay in the 80s for months at a time.

For a young couple in late 20s, a growing Dallas seems more fantastic than a community full with retired/current senior executives or middle managers of a major corporation (Bella Vista)...

Generally speaking, young people love big city than a small town. The biggest driver for young people and foreign talents to NWA is job opportunities.

[USERXXXX]

Originally Posted by Loveswater_outdoors

See I am the type of person who prefers insanely hot so long as I don't have to deal with the cold. The issue with Dallas is that it can get sweltering hot, AND it can also have some very bitter winters. You have to deal with both extremes. Now I am sure Fayetteville gets much colder and harsher in the winter than Dallas, but I doubt it is that big of a divide. Also it sounds like the Spring/Summer is more tolerable in Fayetteville. My fiancee and myself are still moving forward with our plans to move in June, and we couldn't be more excited! Only two more months! I am already researching bicycles and taking inventory of our outdoor equipment in preparation!

Welcome to NWA.

I am kind of person OK with hot, but not horrible cold. So, my final destination will be Florida. Maybe Jacksonville or Tampa or Naples..

Shreveport, Monroe, and Ruston looks slow and underdeveloped.
I know how frustrated about N. Louisiana. NWA is certainly fantastic than N. Louisiana....

[Loveswater_outdoors]

Ok so a little update. We are not going to be able to move until very late July, or early August but still plan on coming. I have already applied to NWACC and pretty sure I am going to be accepted. The only issue we are having so far is finding jobs in education or non-profit for my Fiancee. She hasn't seen any teaching or administrative jobs open in the area. I am calling on my professional friends here at city-data to see if you can't help us search somewhere we haven't looked, or let us know about opportunities. She is qualified as both a teacher with experience, and extensively in non-profit with Lee, Americorp, and Teach for America, with leadership experience in Girl Scouts of America. I do appreciate any guidance you are able to provide, thanks!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Loveswater_outdoors

Ok so a little update. We are not going to be able to move until very late July, or early August but still plan on coming. I have already applied to NWACC and pretty sure I am going to be accepted. The only issue we are having so far is finding jobs in education or non-profit for my Fiancee. She hasn't seen any teaching or administrative jobs open in the area. I am calling on my professional friends here at city-data to see if you can't help us search somewhere we haven't looked, or let us know about opportunities. She is qualified as both a teacher with experience, and extensively in non-profit with Lee, Americorp, and Teach for America, with leadership experience in Girl Scouts of America. I do appreciate any guidance you are able to provide, thanks!

Thanks for the update. Late July isn't all that far away, so just hang in there. Good luck, I am sure she can find something. It is good you have a contact that should be able to help. Even if she doesn't get the perfect job right away, I am sure she will soon as you get settled.

[Rock Climber]

Originally Posted by Loveswater_outdoors

Ok so a little update. We are not going to be able to move until very late July, or early August but still plan on coming. I have already applied to NWACC and pretty sure I am going to be accepted. The only issue we are having so far is finding jobs in education or non-profit for my Fiancee. She hasn't seen any teaching or administrative jobs open in the area. I am calling on my professional friends here at city-data to see if you can't help us search somewhere we haven't looked, or let us know about opportunities. She is qualified as both a teacher with experience, and extensively in non-profit with Lee, Americorp, and Teach for America, with leadership experience in Girl Scouts of America. I do appreciate any guidance you are able to provide, thanks!

My only guidance would be don't rule out the smaller districts adjacent to Fayetteville. West Fork, Greenland, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Elkins all have their own public school districts. Lots of folks live in Fayetteville and work as teachers in those areas. It might not be your first choice, but it will get your foot in the door in NWA and give you the ability to network within the larger education community. A reverse commute to one of the outlying areas isn't bad at all.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Rock Climber

My only guidance would be don't rule out the smaller districts adjacent to Fayetteville. West Fork, Greenland, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Elkins all have their own public school districts. Lots of folks live in Fayetteville and work as teachers in those areas. It might not be your first choice, but it will get your foot in the door in NWA and give you the ability to network within the larger education community. A reverse commute to one of the outlying areas isn't bad at all.

Also if he is attending NWACC there is no reason for them to have to live near Fayetteville or that locatin. I am sure there are teaching jobs and other education jobs in districts like Gravette and Pea Ridge, as well as all those you mentioned.